A variety of chairs have been specifically designed for seated workers in an office and industrial environment as well as the home environment. For example, a number of chairs have been designed for computer users and assembly line workers. Theories have been developed to support each design and the major objective of each design has been to provide an ergonomic workplace chair.
Moreover, a number of chairs have been designed to promulgate kinesthetic therapy. Many of these chairs are portable and lack the necessary support as well as other features simply not possible in a portable unit. The stationary chairs which have been designed are often bulky and lack the proper adjustment angles of a seat, a head rest and an arm rest with respect to a chest rest. Furthermore, there has been a lack of easily operated independent adjustments for the seat, head rest, arm rest and chest rest with respect to one another.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
______________________________________ INVENTOR U.S. Pat. No. ISSUE DATE ______________________________________ Zinkin, et al. 3,759,511 September 18, 1973 Simjian 3,861,382 January 21, 1975 Gusrud, et al. Des. 265,612 August 3, 1982 Fitzig, et al. 4,699,423 October 13, 1987 Shaffer, et al. 4,798,395 January 17, 1989 Brown 4,943,117 July 24, 1990 Roberts 5,178,593 January 12, 1993 Larson 5,186,519 February 16, 1993 ______________________________________ OTHER PRIOR ART (Including Author, Title, Date, Pertinent Pages, Etc.) DOCU- PAGE MENT NUM- NUMBER PUBLICATION DATE BER ______________________________________ 1 Golden Ratio Oakworks product 1994 10 brochure 2 Flyer included in Golden Ratio 1994 entire Oakworks product brochure flyer (two pages) 3 Custom Craftworks product 1994-95 6 brochure 4 Oakworks product brochure undated 5 5 Oakworks product brochure undated 6 6 Living Earth Crafts product undated 11 brochure 7 Living Earth Crafts product undated 12 brochure 8 Flyer included in Blue Ridge undated entire Tables, Inc. product brochure flyer 9 Stronglite product catalog 1993-94 last 10 Oakworks advertisement in page Massage Therapy Journal, Spring 1 Vol. 33, No. 2 1994 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,519 to Larson teaches the use of an adjustable chair comprised of a front seat assembly, a rear seat assembly and a base assembly supporting the front and rear seat assemblies independent of one another. The front seat assembly has a front seat and the rear seat assembly has a rear seat both pivotably mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis. The two rotation axes are separated from one another a sufficient distance that a person may sit on the front seat and position his or her back against the rear seat. Each seat is pivotably mounted by the respective seat assembly such that the rotation for each seat is located at a fulcrum point from which the seat is pivotably supported.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,117 to Brown teaches the use of a body weight distribution support chair. The chair includes a superstructure with a seat portion mounted thereto and spaced from a head/chest portion. The head/chest portion features a split portion to enable the user to see what he or she is working upon. Mounted to the head/chest portion is a pair of diverging arm supports. The superstructure also includes a pair of spaced opposed ankle supports. The weight of the body of the user is concentrated between the ankles and knees by permitting the chair user to position his or her body somewhat forwardly while providing the ability to utilize the hands freely.
Th other prior art listed above, but not specifically discussed, further catalogs the prior art of which the applicant is aware.